Bottle washing or sterilizing apparatus.



No. 792,010. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905. O. EIGK.

BOTTLE WASHING OR STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21,1902.

SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 792,010. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

0. EIOK.

BOTTLE WASHING 0R STERILIZING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 21,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

ATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE WASHING OR STERILIZING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,010, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed August 21, 1902. Serial No.120,528.

To (all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'rro EIOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle I/Vashing or Sterilizing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to bottle washing and sterilizing apparatus, the construction and advantages of which will be hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the annexed drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, portions thereof being partly broken away to disclose the interior construction; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional view on the line 1 1 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail view of a portion of the driving mechanism, and Fig. 4 a sectional elevation of a modified form of tank.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple apparatus wherein a large number of bottles may be readily handled, being soaked, sterilized, washed, or in any manner treated with liquids, as may be desired.

A further object is to so cause the bottles to pass through the apparatus that they will be successively filled with and emptied of the fluid through which they are passed and finally automatically discharged'from the apparatus as a new series or body of bottles is introduced into the apparatus at the opposite end.

In the modified form of the apparatus the bottles are passed successively through a series of tanks or compartments, each of which may contain different liquids or liquid of the same nature or kind, but of varying degrees of temperature. I/Vith this form of apparatus bottled liquorssuch, for instance, as beer-may be sterilized, though the apparatus as a whole is more especially designed for the cleansing of empty bottles.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3, A denotes the tank, preferably open at its upper side and having its body formed concentric with a shaft B, which extends throughout the length of the tank and beyond the ends or one end thereof. To the projecting end of the shaft there is secured a disk C, having a series of radial slots D, four in the form shown, the slots extending from the periphery inwardly and being equidistantly spaced. A counter shaft E, which is driven from any suitable source of power, carries a disk or Wrist plate F, from which projects a pin or stud G, said pin working in conjunction with the slots of disk 0 and rotating said disk, and consequently shaft B, a quarter-turn for each complete revolution of shaft E and its attached Wrist-plate. The construction thus described is the so-called Geneva movement. Secured upon the shaft within the tank are a series of spider-frames H, which carry at their outer ends bars I, the bars having formed in the innermost faces ways or channels, which act as guides for the supporting frames or racks J, which support the bottles. Said frames J in the construction shown are of such a width as to fit somewhat closely between the longitudinal bars I, though they may be freely moved lengthwise thereof. Each frame or rack carries a series of bottles, twelve in the form shown, and the rotating supporting-frame, comprising the spiders and longitudinal bars 1, supports twelve such bottle-racks. It will of course be understood that the number and size of the racks may be varied as desired, either by lengthening the tank and the supporting-frame or making the bottle-racks shorter. Secured to one end of the tank is a draining-receptacle K, the upper edge whereof is provided with a track L, inclined downwardly away from the tank and provided with a series of rollers M. The upper end of the inclined portion lies at a point slightly below the upper face or side of the rotating supporting-frame when one of the bottle-racks is uppermost, so that the rack, with its bottles, which is pushed out of the frame may pass down over the rolls onto a bottle-washing machine N or the like.

The operation of the apparatus thus far described will be readily understood. The attendant, standing at the right-hand end of the machine, passes the bottle-racks into the supporting-frame intermediate the bars I, which, as above noted, engage the racks and hold the same. Each time the disk F makes one revolution the supporting-frame will be given a quarter-turn, bringing a pair of the bars I to a position above the tank, where the attendant can place another rack in position. As the rack is forced in, assuming the supporting-frame to be fully charged, a rack, with its bottles, will be automatically forced out at the opposite end and will pass down onto the rollers M to the washing-machine N or the like. This operation is repeated each time the frame makes a quarter-revolution.

As will be seen, the racks are gradually moved step by step from one end of the supporting-frame to the other, and the bottles in each rack are successively filled and emptied a number of times as they pass into and out of the fiuid contained within the tank. IVith a tank arranged for the accommodation lengthwise of three racks each bottle will be filled and emptied three times. By making the wall or main body of the tank concentric with the axis of the shaft B no special form of rack is essential to the operation of the apparatus, for should a bottle drop down, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 2, it could not entirely free itself from the rack, and as the frame was further rotated it would be held in its position and finally drop by gravity back to its normal seat. It will be seen upon reference to Fig. 2 that the tank is carried up slightly above the plane of the shaft in order to insure the proper return of the bottle to the frame. It is likewise apparent that a Geneva movement or its equivalent which will give a greater or less number of revolutions to the supporting-frame may be employed, the supporting-frame being modified in its form to correspond. The particular form of supporting-bar is not essential, as it is plainly evident that various forms may be employed to accomplish the same functions. Hence I do not desire to limit myself thereto.

In Fig. 4 a modification of the apparatus is illustrated. The underlying principles are the same in this form of apparatus; but the main tank A is divided into a series of tanks or compartments B, C, and D, though a greater number or only two may be employed. It is of course necessary under this construction to provide at least two spiders or frames E for each of the tanks or tank-compartments, to which frames are secured the supporting bars or tracks F, the various sections being in direct alinement and forming, in effect, continuous tracks or bars. Compartment B is provided with a suitable inlet G and outlet H, while compartment C is likewise provided with a suitable inlet I and an overflow J, which opens into compartment .D. Compartment C is also provided with heating-pipes L, arranged, preferably, in the lower portion thereof, as shown. GompartmentD is provided with an inflow M and outflow N. With the apparatus arranged in this manner the bottles may be treated to baths of different liquids or the same or varying liquids at varying temperatures. So, too, bottled liquids may be sterilized by passing the charged bottles through the apparatus and properly regulating the temperature of the liquids therein. The course of travel of the bottle-racks is the same in this form as in the other--that is to say, they are carried around a number of times in the tank or the separate tank-compartments and finally discharged.

While the apparatus has been shown in conjunction with a bottle-washing apparatus, it can of course be used independently thereof, though the long or comparatively long soaking and frequent emptying renders the bottle fit for treatment where the water or other cleansing fluid is forcibly injected thereinto.

Under some circumstances it maybe desirable to provide a closure or cover for the receptacle, particularly when the apparatus is used for the purpose of sterilizing. Such a cover A is shown in Fig. 2. The ends of the cover may be provided with doors to facilitate the placing of the racks in position and the egress of the rack containing the bottles which have been fully treated.

The particular form of way, channel, support, or track formed in or carried by the bars or members I is not essential so long as the ways or tracks properly position the bottleracks.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank; a rotatable carrier mounted therein; means for imparting an intermittent rotation to the carrier; and means for holding a series of bottle-racks on said carrier and permitting discharge thereof, one by one, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank circular in cross section; a rotatable frame mounted therein, said frame extending up above the open side of the tank; and means carried by said frame for temporarily holding a series of bottle-racks thereon,and permitting discharge thereof from time to time, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank; a rotatable frame mounted therein; means extending throughout the length of the frame for supporting a series of bottle-holding racks thereon and permitting the discharge of one of the racks at one end as a new rack is secured in place at the opposite end; and means for rotating the frame.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank; arotatable frame mounted therein; means extending throughoutthe length of the frame upon its exterior surface for holding a series of bottleracks upon the various faces of said frame; and means for intermittently rotating the frame.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank, circular in cross-section and open at its upper side; a rotatable frame mounted therein; means extending throughout the length of the frame for holding a series of bottle-racks upon the various faces of the frame; means for intermittently rotating the frame; and means for receiring the bottle-racks as they are discharged from the frame.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank open at its upper side; a rotatable frame mounted therein; means carried by the frame for holding a series of bottle-racks; and a draining-chamber located at the discharge end of the tank over which the bottle-racks pass as they leave the apparatus.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank open at its upper side; a rotatable frame mounted therein; means carried by the frame for holding aseries of bottle-racks and permitting them to be moved toward the discharge end of the apparatus; a draining-chamber located at said discharge end; and an inclined track mounted on said draining-chamber.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank open at its upper side; a shaft extending longitudinally thereof; means for imparting an intermittent step-by-step motion to said shaft; a series of spiders carried by the shaft; a series of bars secured to the spiders and extending throughout the length of the tank, said bars having ways or guides formed therein; a drainingchambcr located at the discharge end of the tank; and a track mounted on the upper side of the.draining-chamber.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a tank having a series of cross-compartments formed therein; a shaft extending throughout the length of said tank; means carried by said shaft for holding a series of bottle-racks in each of said compartments and permitting the transference of the racks from one compartment to the other; and means for rotating the shaft.

10. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a tank; a revolubleopen-ended skeleton frame therein; a horizontal shaft hearing said frame; a pair of horizontal tracks carried by said frame at a distance remote from its axis which extend from end to end thereof; and a removable bottlerack adapted to be supported upon and to be slid along on said tracks, substantially as described.

11. [n a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a tank; a revoluble open-ended skeleton frame therein; a horizontal shaft bearing said frame; a bottle-rack support carried by said frame consisting of a pair of horizontally-disposed tracks, and means for holding the bottle-racks on said tracks; and a removable bottlerack adapted to be carried by said revoluble frame, substantially as described.

12. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of a tank and a revoluble frame therein having an open-ended passage through it from end to end; a pair of horizontal tracks located one at each side of said passage; a horizontal shaft bearing said frame; and a removable bottle-rack adapted to be supported upon and to be slid along on said tracks, substantially as described.

13. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of two tanks; two revoluble frames therein, each having an open-ended passage through it from end to end; a horizontal shaft bearing said frames; a bottlerack support carried by each frame, said supports being arranged in alinement; and a removable bottlerack adapted to be carried by said revoluble frames, said bottle-rack being movable from one to the other, substantially as described.

14. In a bottle-washing machine, the combination of two tanks; two revoluble frames therein, each having a passage through it from end to end; a bottle-rack support carried by each frame; a shaft to which said frames are secured and by which the bottlerack supports are held in alinement; and a removable bottlerack adapted to be carried by said revoluble frames said bottlerack being movable from one to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OTTO EIGK.

Witnesses:

HORACE A. Domain, 0. G. BURDINE. 

